While that pre-wedding engagement period can be filled with romantic notions and starry eyes, it's also a good time to get some practical discussions started. Money causes problems in more marriages than most anything else, say all the experts — along with anyone who's been married for even a little while. The best way to be prepared when money issues arise is to start talking about finances before you get married. Be up-front about everything, including your debt, savings, income, and spending and saving habits.

Once you've got that out of the way, talk about how you'll manage money as a couple. Will you have a joint checking account, separate accounts or both? At what spending level does a purchase need to be discussed: $100, $500 or more? Who will handle the bill-paying, and how much will each contribute if you have separate accounts?

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Getting the often awkward money talk started before the wedding will help your first year of marriage go more smoothly. And our list of the 10 biggest expenses a couple can look forward to in the first year — presented here in no real order — offers a great set of topics for kicking off what will be an ongoing financial conversation with your spouse. So, let's get started.